


Pick-up Lemons

by skim_milk



Series: random little Miraculous fics [9]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: A+ Flirting, Adrinette | Adrien Agreste/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Bad Flirting, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Bad Puns, F/M, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Identity Reveal, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, MLB, MLB September 2020, MLB September 2020 Prompt Month, Marinette Dupain-Cheng's A+ Flirting, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Prompt Fill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:09:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26224702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skim_milk/pseuds/skim_milk
Summary: "My Lady, this guy that you keep turning me down for... have you actually asked him out?""No. I garble my words every time I try to talk to him. I get too nervous.""Why don't you practice on me? I can even teach you some of my greatest pick-up lines, one I came up with myself. They're sure to win him over!"(No one is more surprised than Marinette when they really work) (Especially considering she still garbles them)++++My contribution to the MLB Fanworks Septemeber prompt fill month. Shout out to Lou for the prompt -- sorry for garbling it more than Marinette garbles her words...
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Series: random little Miraculous fics [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1767442
Comments: 19
Kudos: 164
Collections: September 2020 - Fulfill A Prompt





	Pick-up Lemons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InkyCoffee](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkyCoffee/gifts).



> Shout out to [Khanofallorcs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Khanofallorcs/pseuds/Khanofallorcs) and [Yuki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aiyume) for beta reading for me.

Marinette wasn’t sure how she had allowed herself to be talked into this, how she had let Chat convince her that this was the right thing to do.  
She took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. It had been during patrol the previous night that Chat had brought up the topic. 

“So, M’lady, this guy that you keep turning me down for…” he started, his legs swinging slightly over the edge of the building they sat on. “Have you ever actually asked him out?” he asked, to which Ladybug let out a bark of laughter.  
“Are you crazy?” She looked over at the Eiffel Tower, the two of them having stopped a while ago to watch the sunset behind the tower from a nearby rooftop. “I can hardly speak around him, let alone confess my feelings to the guy!” she shook her head and glanced down at her hands, finding the dance her thumbs made suddenly interesting. “Every time I try to talk to him I just… freeze… no, it’s worse…” she huffed. “I garble my words… I’m a nervous mess — a total garbage fire.”  
She glanced over to him, meeting his eyes, but he didn’t laugh like she had expected him to. Instead, he fixed her with a soft smile. “You could always use me for practice, M’lady,” he grinned at her now, but it held none of its usual charm and cheek.  
“Hmm sure,” she smirked, looking back at the tower and the darkening sky. “Are you going to give me advice for flirting too?”  
He laughed in response to her quip. “But of course, M’ladybug. This cat’s got flirting in the bag.”  
She shook her head. “I’m sure you do, Kitty.”  
Their laughter died off and she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned and met his eyes once more, his green cat-like eyes serious but still portraying all the softness and love held within his person. “I’m serious, Bug,” he said. His voice was low, almost a whisper. “You need to tell him — how you feel,” he gave her a slight smile now. “You’ll never forgive yourself if you don’t… at least I know that I tried with you.”  
“Chat—” her small voice started but he held a finger to her lips, a gentle motion.  
“No. I’m fine. M’lady, I just... want you to be happy,” his finger dropped from her lips but she didn’t speak. “And you’ll never be happy until you tell him.”  
“Chat,” she says, her voice softer somehow. “Thank you,” the corners of her vision blurred with tears. Why was she crying? Why did this hurt?  
His hand dropped from her shoulder and she grabbed it with her hand, lacing their fingers. “Thank you, Chaton,” she used her free hand to dab at the tears that had built, hoping to whatever deity that was watching over her that Chat would just think it was the cool wind stinging her eyes. “But I’m afraid I wouldn’t know what to say,” she refused to meet his eyes as she forced the words out.  
Why was it so hard to talk about her failing love life in front of him?  
She noticed Chat’s legs had stopped swinging, sitting still now, immovable even by the wind. “I mean,” he started and she met his eyes once more, now filled once again with their usual glint of mischief. “You could take my advice for once, you know… guys like cheesy pick-up lines too, ya know.”  
She smirked at him, tears long forgotten. “Oh really?”  
“Yeah,” he smirked back at her. “All else fails you can just use my favourite line of all time.”  
She chuckled. “And that would be?”  
“Well,” he said, leaning in close to her ear. “Just because I’m a knight in shining armour here to save the damsel in distress, I might have to share with you…”

Marinette shook her head, eradicating the thoughts of the previous night from her memory.  
It would have been easy to love Chat Noir, she supposed, if Adrien hadn’t existed. If Hawkmoth wasn’t an issue. If their identities weren’t in the way.  
But Marinette couldn’t dwell on the ifs in her life, trying to instead focus on the now. She focused on putting one foot in front of the other as she walked step by step closer to the school, closer to where Adrien stood on the front steps talking to Nino.  
She felt the weight of the object in her pocket — why had she brought it? She had almost been able to walk out of the house without it this morning, but as she had been walking out the door, Chat Noir’s voice was in Marinette’s ear and before she knew it she was back by the fruit bowl, depositing the item into her pocket.  
It wasn’t too heavy, but with each step she took it caused the pocket of her jacket to bounce and bang into her hip, reminding her of its presence.  
She took another deep breath as she neared the school.  
Nino was the first of the two to see her, lifting his hand to wave hello to her, catching Adrien’s attention as he did so. “What’s up, ‘Nette?” Nino inquired when she reached them.  
“The sky,” Marinette giggled and Nino rolled his eyes.  
“You two are almost as bad as one another,” the boy exclaimed in exasperation, the comment causing both Marinette and Adrien’s cheeks to flush red.  
“Hey Marinette,” Adrien greeted her with a small wave.  
“Uhhh hi um Adrien. Adrien, uhh how hi are you? I mean ahh...” she trailed off in embarrassment. Well, that’s off to a good start!  
Adrien smiled back at her. “About 170,” he said, her face remained blank for a few moments, blinking in confusion until she realised what he meant.  
170… 170 centimetres… is he talking about height?  
“Oh…” that was bad. “Hahaha…” she laughed awkwardly.  
Nino raised a hand to his brow, using it to massage his temples. “Wow,” he dropped his hand and shook his head. “I’m gonna go find Alya,” he said, turning and leaving immediately, not waiting to see their reactions.  
“Well, bye,” Adrien called after his friend, turning and looking at Marinette. “So, how are you?”  
“I uh…” Marinette blinked. “Good thanks,” she said, surprising herself when she didn’t stuff it up — not that there was much to stuff up, but normally Marinette would fumble over even the smallest of things. “I um… wanted to uh… talk… to you…” and back to Robot-Mari.  
Adrien cracked a smile nonetheless. “Sure, Marinette. What did you want to talk about?”  
If Marinette’s life had a soundtrack, right now it would have been playing the Windows shutting down sound. She couldn’t remember what her intention with the conversation had been… why was she here again?  
“I uh…” and then it hit her. “I like uh…” come on Marinette! “I like sour fruit!” she exclaimed, pulling the item from her pocket.  
What.  
The.  
Citrus?!  
It was as though time had slowed down as she pulled the fruit from her pocket — cursing herself and her inability to just tell. the. boy. she. liked. him.  
But Marinette’s life could never be that easy, could it?  
And, of course, her failed love confession had to become even more of a dumpster fire due to her clammy hands. Her grip on the fruit slipped as she pulled it from her pocket and both she and Adrien watched as it fell in slow motion, falling, falling, falling, ever so slowly, until it hit the ground between his feet, bouncing several times — one of which narrowly missing Adrien’s crotch.  
“I’m so sorry!” Marinette apologised once time resumed its normal pace once more. “I’m really, really sorry Adrien,” she claimed as she bent to pick up the yellow fruit.  
“It’s fine,” he said. But it wasn’t. Because, at that exact same moment he bent to grab it as well, and the two of them bumped heads.  
“Oh my gosh, Adrien!” I’m going to kill him! “I’m so so sorry!” I’m going to kill him and we haven’t even had the chance to have three kids and a hamster yet!  
“It’s fine,” he reassured her once more, this time, bending to pick up the fruit successfully, holding it in his hand for Marinette to take.  
This was her chance.  
“Thanks,” she said.  
“Do it!” screamed a voice in her ear that sounded suspiciously like Chat Noir.  
“Sorry, I’m just really bad at pick-up limes…” she awkwardly laughed.  
Well, she had finally said an entire sentence in his presence… literally the worst sentence she could have ever said, but she’d done it.  
He blinked a few times before he spoke. “Marinette, that’s a lemon…”  
Goddamn, she can’t even flirt badly correctly!  
“Uh…” she met his eyes. “That’s because I’m bad at them…”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it!
> 
> You can follow the September prompt fill event on the [MLB Fanworks Discord server](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) as well as getting inspiration to write, draw and create, and recommendations to other fanfics! It's a wonderful place to meet and talk to fellow fans, and I look forward to seeing you there! 
> 
> Hope you have a good day and see you all later xxx


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